New Ensenada Airport

The project was halted primarily due to a combination of factors, including a lack of continued federal funding and a shift in national infrastructure priorities following the change in presidential administration in Mexico. The incoming government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which took office in late 2018, re-evaluated and canceled several large-scale projects initiated by the previous administration, and the Ensenada airport project was one of the casualties. There were also reported concerns from local agricultural groups in the Ojos Negros valley regarding the potential impact on water resources and the environment.

The site is an abandoned construction project. Satellite imagery clearly shows a large, graded, and partially paved runway in the middle of the Ojos Negros valley. The runway and surrounding cleared land are visible but incomplete, with no terminal buildings, hangars, or support infrastructure ever being built. The area is fenced off and inaccessible, standing as a 'ghost airport'—a testament to the canceled project.

The 'New Ensenada Airport' was a major infrastructure project intended to replace the existing, smaller El Ciprés Airport (MMES), which is limited by its runway length and urban encroachment. The new airport was a joint civil-military project led by the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA). Its strategic goals were to:

1. **Boost Tourism:** Provide direct international and domestic flights to Ensenada, a major cruise ship port and the gateway to Baja California's wine country (Valle de Guadalupe).
2. **Increase Cargo Capacity:** Support the growing maquiladora industry and agricultural exports from the region.
3. **Handle Larger Aircraft:** The design included a runway of approximately 3,100 meters (over 10,000 feet), capable of handling larger commercial jets like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, which the current airport cannot efficiently accommodate.
4. **Military Operations:** Serve as a modern, strategic air base for the Mexican Air Force in the region.

Construction began around 2015-2016, and significant earthwork and grading for the runway were completed before the project was abandoned.

Currently, there are no official, active plans by the Mexican federal government to restart construction or reopen the project. While local business leaders and tourism officials in Ensenada periodically advocate for the project's revival to boost the local economy, it has not regained federal traction or funding. The government's focus has been on other major infrastructure projects like the 'Tren Maya' and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) near Mexico City. For the foreseeable future, the prospects for completing the Ojos Negros airport are considered very low.